Cole Harris fonds Compiled by Terra Dickson (2003) Last revised October 2011 University of British Columbia Archives
Table of Contents Fonds Description o Title / Dates of Creation / Physical Description o Biographical Sketch o Scope and Content o Notes Series Descriptions o Biographical series o Correspondence series o Course material series o Committees series o SSHRC series o Projects series File List Catalogue entry (UBC Library catalogue)
Fonds Description Cole Harris fonds. 1958-2002. 1.38 m of textual records and other material. Biographical Sketch Richard Colebrook Harris was born in Vancouver on 4 July 1936. Harris' post-secondary education consisted of studies at the University of British Columbia (BA, 1958) where he was president of the United Nations Club the University of Montpellier (1958-59), and the University of Wisconsin (MS, 1961 and PhD, 1964). His PhD thesis, A Geography of the Seigneurial System in Canada during the French Regime, was supervised by A.H. Clark. Harris' teaching positions included the following appointments: Lecturer (1963-1964) at UBC, Assistant Professor (1964-1968) and Associate Professor (1968-1971) at the University of Toronto, Lecturer in French (Summer 1967) at the University of Laval in French (Summer 1967), and Associate Professor (1971-1973) and Professor (1973-2002) at UBC. Harris' research interests focused on European settlement in early Canada, particularly the nature of social change in immigrant societies in new environments and on geographies of colonialism in early British Columbia. In addition to teaching and researching, Harris served as President of the Canadian Association of Geographers (1985-1986) and was on the following editorial boards: Professional Geographer (1982-1986), Annals of Association of American Geography (1988-1992), and the Journal of Historical Geography (1975-1982). Additionally, he was president of the Vancouver Institute (1985-1986) and was Co-Editor of BC Studies (1995-2002). Harris has received the following awards and distinctions: Guggenheim Fellow, 1968-69; Canadian Council Leave Fellowship, 1975-1976; Award for Scholarly Distinction in Geography, Canadian Association of Geographers, 1980; Senior Killam Fellow, 1982-84; Fellow, Royal Society of Canada, 1982; Prize for outstanding article in the Canadian Historical Review, 1985; Killam Research Prize, 1987; Gold Medal, Royal Canadian Geographical Society, 1988; Sir John A. Macdonald Prize, Canadian Historical Association, 1988; Award of Merit, Association for Canadian Studies, 1988; Doctor of Law, Honoris Causa, York University, 1993; Centenary Medal, Royal Society of Canada, 1994; Award of Distinction, Canadian Cartographic Association, 1994; David and Brenda McLean Chair of Canadian Studies, UBC, 1997-1999; Clio Award, Canadian Historical Association, 1998; Dean of Arts Prize, UBC, 1999; Just Desserts Award, Alma Mater Society, UBC, 2001; and Honorary Professor, Shaanxi Normal University, 2001.
Scope and Content The fonds consists of records that Harris created and received during his student and professional careers. The records document his interests in, and involvement with, Canadian, North American, and European historical geography as a researcher and as a teacher. The fonds includes correspondence, reports, memos, clippings, published material, manuscripts, publishing contracts, conference papers, reviews, grant applications, project and dissertation proposals, notes, lecture material, photographs, slides, sketches and prints. The fonds includes six series, biographical; correspondence; course material; committees; SSHRC and projects, and reflect Harris' filing system. Notes Fonds title based on provenance of records. Includes 18 photographs, 3 slides, 1 sketch and 1 print. Language is predominantly English but some documents are in French. No further accruals are expected. Series descriptions and file list are available.
Biographical series. -- 1991, 2002. 8 pages. Series Descriptions Series consists of documents that outline Harris' academic life and achievements. Correspondence Series. -- 1971-2001. 87 cm of textual records. 4 photographs. 1 slide. Series consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence, memos, clippings, reviews of pre-published and published material, dissertation proposals, conference papers, and contracts that document Harris' involvement with current, former, and prospective graduate and undergraduate students; national and international academic colleagues; professional associations; university, scholarship, and grant administrators; Canadian politicians; and publishers. The series contains three sub-series: Miscellaneous, Specific and Selected Graduate Students. Course material series.-- 1973-2001. 21 cm of textual records. Series consists of course syllabi, outlines, lecture and discussion notes, photocopied maps, overheads, articles and examinations Harris used in undergraduate and graduate geography courses at the University of British Columbia. Committees series. -- 1992-1996. 3 cm of textual records. Series consists of memos, printed resources, reports, and correspondence between Harris and faculty at a number of universities. The material reflects Harris' involvement in the committees on which he served and the decisions reached by those committees.
SSHRC series. -- 1988-1999. 4 cm of textual records. Series consists of applications, correspondence and memos used by Harris in conjunction with applying for research funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Projects series. -- 1958-2001. 5 cm of textual records. 14 photographs. 2 slides. 1 print. 1 sketch. Series consists of pre-published and published articles, conference papers, essays, correspondence, photocopied maps, clippings, photographs, slides, sketches, notes, and proposals produced in conjunction with Harris' research, writings and exhibits on historical geography in Canada, United States, Indo-China, South Africa, and Europe; his examination of trends in geographical theory and scholarship; Harris' reviews of scholarly works on North American historical geography; and reviews of articles and books written by Harris.
File List BOX 1 BIOGRAPHICAL 1-1 Biographical sketch and curriculum vitae 1991; 2002 CORRESPONDENCE Correspondence. Miscellaneous 1-2 2000-2001 1-3 Fall 1999 1-4 Spring 1999 1-5 1998 1-6 Fall 1997 1-7 Spring 1997 1-8 September to December 1996 1-9 January to August 1996 1-10 1995 1-11 August to December 1994 1-12 January to July 1994 1-13 1993 1-14 July to December 1992 1-15 January to June 1992 1-16 July to December 1991 1-17 January to June 1991 1-18 July to December 1990 1-19 January to June 1990 BOX 2 2-1 July to December 1989 2-2 January to June 1989 2-3 1988 2-4 1987 2-5 1986 2-6 1985
2-7 1984 2-8 1983 2-9 1982 2-10 1981 2-11 1980 2-12 1979 2-13 1978 2-14 1971; 1977-1979 Correspondence. Specific 2-15 British Columbia Historical Geography Project 1990 2-16 Canadian Association of Geographers 1985-1986 2-17 A. H. Clark 2-18 Bill Groves 1972 2-19 Maurice Saint-Yves 1972-1974 2-20 Graeme Wynn 1974-1982 BOX 3 Correspondence. Selected graduate students 3-1 Daniel Clayton 1995-2002 3-2 Daniel Clayton 1988-1994 3-3 Deryck Holdsworth 1977-1981 3-4 Stephen Hornsby 1981-1988 3-5 Richard Mackie 1986-2002 3-6 Richard Phillips 1993-2002 COURSE MATERIAL 3-7 Geography 120, Fall 1992 3-8 Geography 120, Dan Clayton: reading material, midterm Fall 1991 3-9 Geography 120, Dan Clayton: lecture notes Fall 1991 3-10 Geography 120, lecture notes prepared by Cole Harris Fall 1990 3-11 Geography 120, lecture notes Fall 1990 3-12 Geography 120, outline, notes, overhead Fall 1990 3-13 Geography 121, Fall 2001 3-14 Geography 121, Fall 2000
3-15 Geography 121, discussion outlines Fall 1999 3-16 Geography 121, lecture outlines Fall 1999 3-17 Geography 121, Dan Clayton Summer 1997 3-18 Geography 121 1993-1994; 1996 3-19 Geography 121 Fall 1995 3-20 Geography 220 Fall 1976-1991 3-21 Geography 327 1977-2001 3-22 Geography 423 1974; 1985 3-23 Geography 426 1994-2001 3-24 Geography 427 1988-1994 3-25 Geography 427 1979-1994 3-26 Geography 427 1986-1988 3-27 Geography 427 1979-1985 3-28 Geography 427 1976-1980 3-29 Geography 450 Canadian Studies 3-30 Graduate courses 1973; 1993-2000 BOX 4 COMMITTEES 4-1 Theology committee 1995-1996 4-2 Departmental reviews: Laval 1995 4-3 Departmental reviews: University of Calgary 1992 SSHRC 4-4 Research grants 1997-1999 4-5 Research grants 1993-1996 4-6 Research grants 1989-1993 4-7 Research grant applications 1988-1996 PROJECTS 4-8 Writings 1960-1969 4-9 Writings, "The Agrarian Background of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation" 1958
4-10 Writings, "Seigneurial System" - reviews 1964-1985 4-11 Writings 1970-1979 4-12 Writings, "Reflections on the Fertility of the Historical Geographical Mule" - replies 1970-1971 4-13 Writings, "Canada Before Confederation" - reviews 1974-1978 4-14 Writings, Comments 1971 4-15 Writings, "Historical Mind" 1977 4-16 Writings, "The Simplification of Europe Overseas" - responses 1978 4-17 Writings 1980-1985 4-18 Writings - reviews 1980-1985 4-19 Writings 1986-1990 4-20 Writings 1991-1998 4-21 Writings 2001 4-22 Writings - reviews 1991-2001 4-23 Phillips diaries project - correspondence 1977; 1980-1988 4-24 Phillips project 1981-1987 4-25 Phillips project - visuals 1981-1984 4-26 Cultural geography project and Museum of Anthropology project 1990 4-27 Fraser exhibit project 1989